Elmhurst group secures site for downtown performing arts center
What started three years ago as a dream to open a performing arts center in downtown Elmhurst has taken a "huge" step toward becoming a reality, organizers said Thursday.
The nonprofit Elmhurst Centre for Performing Arts, or ECPA, originally targeted a downtown site at 109-119 First St. in March for its proposed 50,000-square-foot multi-theater facility.
This week, a group of investors called Elmhurst-First LLC announced it has purchased the site on behalf of the arts group and will hold it for at least five years to give organizers time to raise the money to buy the property and begin construction.
The proposed arts center is directly across from the city's Metra station and within easy walking distance of downtown bars, restaurants and shops, supporters say.
"It's the most perfect space," ECPA Treasurer Laura Michaud said.
The building now features first-floor retail space with residences above. It will retain those spaces for the next four to five years during the group's planning and capital campaign.
The proposed center would house two theaters - one with 550 seats and a second with 130 - along with rehearsal spaces and other amenities for theater, dance and music.
Michaud said organizers expect the project to cost between $25 million and $30 million and serve not only Elmhurst, but also other West suburban towns.
"This is a huge step," she said. "It is great. We are so excited."
"I've been saying this all along, and now it's even more true - a performing arts center in Elmhurst will be one of the crown jewels of this city," Mayor Steve Morley said in a written statement.
Michaud said the ECPA now faces three major tasks.
First, it must begin basic design work and compile more detailed cost estimates.
Second, it must launch a capital fundraising campaign that likely will include naming rights for all or parts of the building and numerous grant applications. Michaud said the group is looking for help from people with expertise in those areas.
Third, the group will continue its outreach efforts, including plans for a Nov. 9 gala.
The group already has conducted three studies concerning its proposal, Michaud said.
One was to ensure the arts center was financially viable.
A second was to determine its potential economic impact. Michaud says each person who attends a performance will bring about $49.50 to the community.
The third was to find a "sweet spot for success," which led to the plans for two different sized theaters, a downtown location and the belief the community could support a $30 million project.
"This is a significant milestone in ECPA's initiative to bring a performing arts center to the heart of Elmhurst," board member and former mayor Tom Marcucci said in a written statement. "We have done the research and know that building this center will be financially stable."
Willis Johnson, who owns Elmhurst's York Theater and Tivoli Enterprises Inc./Classic Cinemas, is a member of Elmhurst-First. In a written statement, he said the investment "will help ensure we cultivate local talent and will add a new cultural component to Elmhurst's vibrant arts and entertainment offerings."
Michaud said organizers hope the acquisition of the site will open up more funding opportunities.
"Now that it's a reality, we can reach another tier of people," she said.
Organizers admit it's been a long haul to get the project from the dream stage to something approaching reality, but Michaud said it's been worth it.
"This is an elephant," she said, "and we can only eat it one bite at a time."
If you go
What: Elmhurst Centre for Performing Arts Spotlight Gala
When: 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9
Where: Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill Ave.
Cost: $150
Info: ecpa-elmhurst.org